Cricket
Captain and spinner Subas Bhandari picked up six wickets to guide Gandaki Province to a comfortable 109-run victory over Karnali in the U-19 National Cricket Tournament on Thursday.
In the match played at Mulpani Cricket Ground, Karnali were bowled out for 125 runs in 30 overs while chasing the 235-run target.
Subas Airee was the Karnali top scorer with 32 runs in 36 balls with five fours. Opener Manish Thapa made 18 runs, while Bipin Rawal (19) and Yunish Singh (12) were other contributors.
Karnali batters struggled to read Bhandari as he cleaned up the top and middle order to return with the match figures of 6-27 with three maidens in 10 overs. In the process, he became the second bowler to take six wickets in the tournament. Sudurpaschim spinner Milan Bohora had achieved that feat against Gandaki on Sunday.
Bhandari has joined Dipesh Kandel of Province 1 as the highest wicket-takers in the tournament with 13 scalps from five matches. Sibrin Shrestha took three wickets, giving away 15 runs with two maidens in five overs.
Earlier, openers Govinda BK and Arjun Kumal laid a solid foundation for Gandaki, putting on 95 runs in 25.5 overs. The team built on that to erect a decent total of 234 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 50 overs.
Both the openers completed the fifties in the match. BK made 55 runs off 87 balls with seven fours and a six and Kumal scored 50 from 106 balls with three fours.
Wicketkeeper Deepak Drumme contributed 44 runs before being run out, while Sibrin Shrestha scored 26 runs, and Subhas Bhandari (21).
Karnali bowlers Awash Shah and Mohan BK took three and two wickets, respectively.
Sudurpaschim, who lead the standings with 10 points, have already secured their place in the final. The top two teams from the seven-team round-robin league qualify for the final.
Bagmati Province are currently second on eight points from five games, followed by Lumbini on six points, Province 1 on four. Karnali and Gandaki are level on two points. Madhesh are yet to score a point. Gandaki play their last match in the tournament against Madhesh at the TU Cricket Ground on Friday.
